I'm off the couch, finally. Thanks for get well wishes. I don't know if it helped or not because it's been a week and I'm still inclined to stare at the ceiling rather than finish a sentence. But I promised you the Christmas Ball pattern, and here it is, hopefully in time for whatever plans you had for it.
I used yarn that knit up in stockinette as 5 stitches to the inch, and appropriate needles. What you need for gauge will vary, but relax, this is very forgiving.
I measured the diameter of my 4 inch styrofoam ball and got about 12 inches, so I knew the pattern section had to be 12 inches across, more or less. With a yarn that knits up at 5 stitches to the inch, that meant 60 stitches. I looked at vintage charts and doodled to come up with patterns that would divide evenly into 60.
The Reindeer is 15 stitches across and 16 stitches high. For 60 stitches across you can knit four of them.
The snowflake is 16 stitches across (hang with me here, I got oyu covered) and 13 stitches high. With the double border it's 23 stitches high.
If you want to add the border to either the reindeer or the snowflake, you're going to need to take the gauge down a notch to 6 stitches to the inch so that the finished piece doesn't end up too tall to wrap snuggly around your ball. The pattern that follows is a quick one, written for the two sizes.
For the snowflake chart, follow the instructions for the 77 stitch version until you have 66 stitches: 64 pattern stitches plus two selvedge stitches.
Cast on 10 (11) stitches.
Increase in every stitch so you have 20 (22) stitches.
Purl back.
Knit one, increase -- across. 30 (33) stitches.
Purl back.
K2, inc -- across. 40 (44) stitches.
Purl back.
K3, inc -- across. 50 (55) stitches.
Purl back.
K4, inc -- across. 60 (66) stitches.
Purl back.
For 77 stitch version only: K5, inc -- across. 77 stitches.
Begin chosen chart. The 77 stitch version has a built in selvedge stitch at either edge. You might want to add those stitches for the 60 stitch version now.
When the chart is complete, reverse the increases thus:
For 77 stitch version only: K5, K2tog -- across 66 stitches.
Purl back.
K4, k2tog -- across. 50 (55) stitches.
Purl back.
K3, k2tog -- across. 40 (44) stitches.
Purl back.
K2, k2tog -- across. 30 (33) stitches.
Purl back.
K1, k2tog -- across. 20 (22) stitches.
Purl back.
k2tog across. 10 (11) stitches. Leaving a generous tail, break the yarn and run through the loops of the remaining stitches. Wrap the knitting around a 4" strofoam ball and with the left over tail whip stitch shut, never minding about weaving in ends or anything silly like that. Embellish with tassels, make a hanging loop using a crocheted chain or buttonhole stitch.
And if for some reason, you screw up on the row gauge, stuff the ends with polyfill and it will look like you meant it.
Have fun.
They look adorable--but you know that already, right? Hope you're feeling better!
Posted by: --Deb | December 17, 2006 at 03:38 PM